LETTER REGARDING NINJUTSU
WITH REPLY

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael J Smith <dioguy14@juno.com>
To: <soke@Bushido.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2000 6:12 PM


>             Hello, my name is Michael Smith, and I have some questions
> about Ninjutsu that I really want to know about.  I am a student of
> Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu/Ninjutsu.  As I have a strong interest in
> Ninjutsu, I would like to take other styles of Ninjutsu eventually.
>
>
> But I don't know who all to trust as legitimate teachers of the art.  I
> have read of so many people claiming to teach Ninjutsu, such as Koga
> Ninjutsu, but how do I know whether they are genuine or not?  Now, I have
> always thought that the only PURE Ninjutsu that exists, passed down
> through an unbroken lineage, is the Bujinkan of Masaaki Hatsumi, and that
> he is the only one who has scrolls to prove he is legitimate.  I have
> also heard that the Koga system died out as a pure system, only bits and
> pieces remain.
>
> But lately I have been reading of instructors and systems such as Ashida
> Kim and his Black Dragon ryu (Koga Hai Lung ryu), Stan Triplett and his
> Circle of Masters, Joseph Versocki and Ninga-Isshinryu, Dan McEaddy and
> the Angelic (ninjutsu) federation and koga organization, Frank Dux and
> Dux-ryu Ninjutsu, Rick Tew and Tew-ryu Ninjutsu, Jay Sensei and his Koga
> Ninjutsu, Ronald Duncan and his Koga Ninjutsu, Saito Ninjitsu, Tae Kyon
> Ninjitsu, The Black Dragon Fighting Society, Count Dante, Sho Kosugi,
> Haranaka Hoshino and The San Francisco Ninja Society, Tadashi Yamashita,
> Dirk Skinner, The Demon Mask School of Ninjitsu, Nindo Ryu Gendai
> Ninjutsu, Ninja-Do, Katsumi Toda, The Iron Octopuss (in San Francisco),
> the Tsugawa-ryu, the Koga Shihan ryu, Onna Shinobi, Robert Bussey, and
> Genbukan.  Does anyone know the background of any of these people or
> where these styles come from?
>
> I've heard, for example, that Ashida Kim is really a Caucasian who just
> mixes different styles (is his Black Dragon Society history really
> true?), and that Frank Dux and Ronald Duncan really Trained in the Yagyu
> ryu, which is really a jujutsu and kenjutsu school that teaches SOME
> ninjutsu techniques, and that Frank Dux learned this under the Tanaka
> family.  Are these things true? Then why do they call it Ninjitsu? And I
> know that there's a Karate school called the Katori ryu that teaches SOME
> ninjutsu techniques.  And where did people like Rick Tew, Jay Sensei, and
> Stan Triplett learn there nijutsu? How do I know they're legitimate? If
> there are other legitimate Ninjutsu instructors out there besides
> Bujinkan instructors then I would like to eventually learn from them, so
> I can learn different styles.  If you know anything about any of this,
> please let me know. It would really mean a lot to me.  I hope to hear
> from someone soon.
>                                    Thank you for taking the time to read
> this,
>                                       Michael Smith

Hello Michael:
                        Ninjutsu is more of a generic term, much like
Karate. There are many schools and systems of Karate. When you fall into the
politics you could be persuaded to believe there is only 1 true style of
Karate. I was once told by someone the only style of Karate they acknowledge
is GoJu.
Since you have mentioned the Bujinkan. I will relate my experience with
them. In the early 80's I spent around 54 hours training with Stephen Hayes
in Germantown Ohio, I also trained and learned from Daron Navon while he was
studying in TO. Canada and Grandmaster Hatsumi himself at the Tai kai. Each
one of these people taught differently. Not only did they teach differently,
but they taught many different techniques. This can be expected as we all
reflect our oneself. As we develop, our oneself changes. You can not use a
name of a style to base what is legitimate. I'm sure Stephen Hayes has grown
and developed much since teaching in the early 1980's. You could go and
train at another school under the bujinkan. There are probably thousands of
instructors by now. It would not be the same as being a direct student under
Hayes, Navon or Hatsumi himself.
The bujinkan has become more of an organization. Many of the Instructors who
are members have various other Martial Arts backgrounds. They tend to use
these as part of their Ninjutsu curriculum while teaching at their own
schools. Everyone of the Ninjutsu people I know have done the same thing,
even GM Hatsumi.

It would be nice and easy if we could base legitimacy by what banner a
school waves over their door. Unfortunately every Instructors personal
development and character is not the same, nor will they remain the same.
About some of the other people you have listed. Robert Bussey was a martial
artist before he began training under Stephen Hayes. He then jumped up to
becoming a personal student of GM. Hatsumi. Later he adapted his training to
a Christian based view. I have not heard of him since the late 80's.
In the 50's GM. McEaddy began training in the Chinese arts. In the 1960's he
became a student of GM. Ronald Duncan, then developed his own system from
a combination. I would imagine you are from the New York area by the people
you have mentioned, so you should be well aware of GM. Duncan. Many people
came up under GM. Duncan, since he was the only known Ninjutsu Instructor
throughout the 60's and 70's. Joseph Versocki began training in Isshinryu,
then became a student under GM. McEaddy. Versocki then left the Angelic
system combining his roots of Isshinryu with Ninjutsu. Stan Triplett is a
student of Versocki and GM. McEaddy and is a member of the Circle of Masters.
The president of the Circle of Masters is GM. Dan McEaddy.
I can not help you with the rest of the names.
If you want to learn and train in the arts, you have to find an Instructor
that suits you. As you develop and grow, you may have to seek a new
Instructor that can feed your quest for knowledge. We are all different
people and may have different agendas. You will find this out when you do
train at another school which has senior black belts. Even though they train
in the same art and have the same degree of black belt you will find
preference to the individual.

Daniel Verkerke
GM. Seicho Jutsu
WHFSC Communication

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